Moved Abroad - Want to Keep Old Number - Been told this is not possible

[Anonymous]

I spoke with an advisor today after being transfered 7 times, and 1.5 hours of my life gone.

Does anyone understand the below??

I truly cannot believe a sim card has to be in the uk to transfer a number if it is not connected to a device. Or my Physics lessons have failed me.

Rick: Is your pay monthly and pay & go sim within UK now?

David: no

David: I no longer live in the UK hence why I cancelled the contract

Rick: Is it with you in abroad now?

David: yes

Rick: For us to transfer your number on pay & go both your pay monthly sim and pay & go sim should be within UK.

Rick: As it's with you in abroad so the number transfer would not take place.

David: Well that isnt possible!

Rick: You'll have to send it back to UK.

David: ?????

David: Send my sim to the uk and do what with it?? leave it in an evelope?

David: *envelope?

Rick: David, just send both the sim to UK and then contact us to transfer the number on pay & go.

David: How will it happen if it is not in a phone?

Rick: Just send the sim and then we'll fill the form as we'll just need to mobile number and the sim serial number to fill the form.

David: I have the mobile number and sim serial number?

David: SSN:

David: Mobile number

Rick: I do understand that but as it's not in UK we won't be able to arrange for the number transfer.

David: ? I dont understand, if i send the sim card back to the uk in an envelope. Not conncected to any electronic device how on earth will the number transfer?

[EDIT: Personal information removed]

[MI5]

LOL. That's live chat for you.... Still not sure why O2 continue this (dis)service

[Bambino]

If you ever are able to keep the number, you should edit it out of your post. This is a public forum and anyone can see it. Not a good idea to display it here.

Just out of curiosity, if you've moved abroad, why do you need to keep the number? 

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

As nuts as it sounds on the face of it, what you've been told is true.

We can't transfer a number from one sim to another without both of them being in the UK.

This is because when you're abroad you're not connected to O2. You're using another company's mobile phone network.

For transfers to work both numbers have to be actively connected to O2 - ie both in the UK connected to the network.

Sorry, there's no way around it. Webchat are spot on in this case.

[jonsie]

O2 cannot provision the new card when it isn't active on the network. It would not only have to be in the UK it would have to be in a phone and booted up which is why you always have to keep rebooting a phone until it picks up the network after a sim swap.

[MI5]

It's the post it back in an envelope with no mention of it needing to be in a phone that is way off the mark. How can that be spot on

[Anonymous]

This was my main problem with the chat, and i was getting annoyed because o2 said it was possible if i just sent it in an envelope. I accept that they cannot do it because the phone is not connected to the o2 Network which i wish they had told me!!

[Anonymous]

---

@MI5 wrote:
It's the post it back in an envelope with no mention of it needing to be in a phone that is way off the mark. How can that be spot on

---

The guy was questioning the logic in having to have the sim in the UK while doing the transfer.  Webchat gave the right advice, in that the sim had to be in the UK.  Just giving them a little credit for being right for once.

[Anonymous]

Is there anything I can do to keep my mobile number, as I need to cancel my mobile contract but cannot go back to the uk just to activate a sim card!!

[Anonymous]

---

@Anonymous wrote:
Is there anything I can do to keep my mobile number, as I need to cancel my mobile contract but cannot go back to the uk just to activate a sim card!!

---

Can you not send it back to the UK (by airmail / courier etc) to someone that can help you out?  If not then no.